Nick Skelton and Big Star added another Olympic gold medal to their collection, claiming individual gold in Rio four years after winning team gold at London 2012.
The 58-year-old, who has continued to compete at the highest level despite breaking his neck in 2000, has nursed Big Star back from injury. Yet together they’ve made a formidable partnership, and today they were at their absolute best, with Skelton becoming the first British showjumper ever to win individual gold.
“The horse was amazing today,” said Nick. “It’s been a hard road, he hasn’t been sound, and the last big competition he won was Aachen in 2013. Everyone has worked so hard to get him back on the road. He’s the best horse I’ve ever seen and he knows when it’s really important.”
Rio could be the final Olympics for Nick, with the rider saying he wouldn’t be aiming for Tokyo in four years’ time. “Big Star will be 17 by then, and I’ll be too old,” he said. But what a way to go out in style.
It was a dazzling day of sport, with the top 35 ranked riders returning to the Deodoro Arena for one final day of competition. With the scores reset to zero, it was all to play for – and with both Nick and Ben Maher in action, Britain’s medal hopes were high.
Four years ago, Big Star had been the most consistent showjumper in the Olympic Games, but was denied the individual medal Skelton felt the horse deserved when they hit just one fence on the final day.
But in Rio, Big Star was able to shine on the day that mattered most. A clear round for the pair in round one, and four faults for Ben Maher, saw both Brits make it into the final round.
A total of 13 faults in the second round saw Maher’s Rio hopes dashed. But Nick was able to produce another superb clear on Big Star, though five other riders did likewise, creating a six-way jump-off.
Nick was first to go in the jump-off, which is always a tricky position to be in – do you go fast to put pressure on the others, or do you aim for a clear and hope the others fail?
Skelton, using every inch of his experience and keeping a cool head when most other riders would falter, did both. A clear round in a time of 42.82 sec couldn’t be bettered, with all the subsequent riders faulting except Sweden’s Peder Fredricson, who couldn’t catch Nick’s time.
Peder claimed silver, while Eric Lamaze was the fastest of the four-faulters to claim bronze for Canada.
It was a dream ending for Team GB’s equestrian teams in Rio, and vindication for Nick, who always believed in Big Star and knew he could one day be an Olympic Champion. Today, as the horses shone on the Rio stage for the last time, that day finally came.